1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to a connector that can provide both signal and power connection or only a signal connection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a peripheral device 12 connected to a computer system 14 with a prior art connector 10. The connector 10 is used to connect the peripheral device 12 to the computer system 14. The computer system 14 comprises a housing 16, a processor (not shown) installed in the housing 16 for controlling the operations of the computer system 14, and a power supply (not shown) installed in the housing 16 for supplying electrical power to the computer system 14. By way of example, the peripheral device 12 is a modem. The peripheral device 12 comprises a peripheral circuit (not shown) for executing a specific peripheral function, a signal plug 18 electrically connected to the peripheral circuit comprising a plurality of signal contacts 20 for transmitting signals to or from the peripheral circuit, a signal cable 19, a power plug 22 for obtaining electrical power from another power supply, and a power cable 21.
The connector 10 comprises a signal socket 24 installed on the housing 16. The signal socket 24 comprises a plurality of signal contacts 26 electrically connected to the computer system 14. When the signal plug 18 of the peripheral device 12 is plugged into the signal socket 24 of the connector 10, the signal contacts 20 in the signal plug 18 of the peripheral device 12 will contact the corresponding signal contacts 26 in the signal socket 24 so as to transmit signals between the computer system 14 and the peripheral device 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, the signal plug 18 is a platform, and the signal contacts 20 of the signal plug 18 are installed in the platform. The signal socket 24 is a recess, and the signal contacts 26 of the signal socket 24 are installed in the recess.
When a user uses the peripheral device 12 through the computer system 14, the user must plug both the signal plug 18 of the peripheral device 12 into the signal socket 24 of the connector 10, and the power plug 22 of the peripheral device 12 into a power socket (not shown) so as to obtain electrical power.
When a user connects a plurality of peripheral devices, such as speakers, monitors, and external hard disks, to the computer system 14, the user must plug each signal plug of the peripheral devices into its respective signal socket, and each power plug of the peripheral devices into a power socket. As more peripheral devices are used, so more power sockets are required. In this manner, the user frequently runs out of power sockets. Furthermore, each of the peripheral devices comprises two plugs, a signal plug and a power plug, and two cables, a signal cable and a power cable. With more peripheral devices, so more cables, and these cables invariably end up knotted and twisted together. This can be very annoying for the user.